The Searching
by Seishin no Maigo
Summary: Past mistakes begin to pay their toll on the new Clow Card Mistress. An evil is threatening her friends and family. Who is this new sorcereress? And why is this boy so familiar? Will they discover the truth in time? Or will they pay the ultimate price?
1. Beginnings...

A.N.: Hey! This is my first fic, so please be nice! Uh, things are really confusing, but if you stay with me, it'll all work out. Romance abound, not just S+S, and a few couple of my own! you have been warned.  
  
==Seishin no Maigo==  
  
THE SEARCHING  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
Beginnings...  
  
Senior student Sakura Kinomoto raced ahead on her new roller blades she had gotten for Christmas a few short months ago, smiling widely as her high school came in view just up ahead. She grinned when she saw two familar faces standing near the entrance to the main building and decided to surprise them that morning. She increased her speed and changed directions slightly, heading for the the huge brick wall encircling the school campus. She crouched down, aiming for the metal railing in front of the wall. She jumped up at the last second and rebounded off the rail, sailing over the wall, her short brown hair blowing back from her face under her helmet.  
  
"OHIYO!!" she said as she landed on the cement right beside the two startled female students. She circling to their other side and skidded to a stop.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Meilin huffed, hands on hips. "You should watch where you're aiming next time!"  
  
Sakura grinned at her Chinese friend.  
  
"But you must admit, she's gotten better since the last time she tried that," Tomoyo said with a slight smile. "Last time, she and Li-kun had to go to the nurse's office to treat their injuries."  
  
"He should've moved out of the way," Sakura muttered, looking off to the side. "Ah! I just remebered!" she said, clapping her hands. "I got an e- mail from Li-kun yesterday!"  
  
"You did?" Meilin asked, surprised a bit.  
  
"Yeah! He's doing okay, his sisters say hi, and he doesn't know when he'll be back from Hong Kong yet, but hopes it'll be soon!"  
  
"Glad to hear he's all right," Tomoyo said.  
  
Sakura nodded. The school bell started to ring. "Hoe! Class is starting!" Sakura exclaimed. "See you guys in P.E.!" she called over her shoulder as she ran inside, pulling off her skates as she did.  
  
When she was gone, Tomoyo and Meilin's happy expressions changed into serious, if not passive, looks. "Everything going according to how we planned?" Meilin asked, turning to Tomoyo.  
  
"Hai," she replied. "As long as no one says anything, it'll continue until I can gather more data."  
  
"Has he said anything about what we'll do if he shows up?"  
  
"Just to ignore him and try to make her do so as well." Tomoyo looked towards the place Sakura had run through, her eyes soft and misty.  
  
"No one said it would be easy, Tomoyo-chan," Meilin said gently.  
  
"I know that, Meilin-chan. Demo....what'll happen if he does appear? Will she know?"  
  
"Dunno. I hope not."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
----------  
  
Sakura yawned and tried not to show it as her teacher continued to lecture on Ancient Japan's fedual system. 'Who cares about the emporer and all the Samuri anyway?' she thought, propping her head in her hand as she leaned her elbow on her desk. 'Just a bunch of haughty guys who kill anyone who doesn't show respect, acting all big and tough with their swords and all...'  
  
She stopped. Her heartbeat increased slightly. An image flashed quickly through her mind's eye: a sword with a green and gold hilt...it was familiar somehow.... She frowned, shaking her head. 'Snap out of it, Kinomoto,' she told herself.  
  
----------  
  
Kero frowned as he pressed the STOP/EJECT button on Sakura's VCR. "Still nothin'," he murmered, picking up the tape with both of his small paws and flying it over to Sakura's bed. He looked around before going under the bed. Sakura never had payed attention to what went under her bed, so this would be a good place to keep the tape along with the other item she could not see. Not yet anyway.  
  
Footsteps reached his ears. He quickly dropped the tape and flew out just as Sakura opened the door. "Kero-chan! I'm back!" she said. "And I brought you some cake!"  
  
"Aw-right!" he cheered as Sakura set the small plate down. "Thanks, Sakura!"  
  
"Don't mention it!" Sakura said with a laugh. She let her back pack drop on her bed and she took out a few books. She sat at her desk and started to work on homework. After about half-an-hour or so, Sakura looked over at Kero playing video games and said, "Hey, Kero-chan?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, not turning away from the game.  
  
"Have I really caught all the Clow Cards?"  
  
"Why do ya ask?"  
  
"Well," she leaned back in her chair, "it just seemed too easy. The last few Cards, I mean. And the last time I capured one was over three years--" She stopped, her brow wrinkling in thought, "--or was it sooner than that?"  
  
"What's yer point, Sakura?" Kero said with a sigh.  
  
"I just wondered if there was any more or not?"  
  
"Nope, not that I know of."  
  
"What if there's one that you don't know about?"  
  
Kero stopped the game and looked at her. "That I don't know of?"  
  
"Yeah. You think that's possible?"  
  
"Naw...not really."  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
Sakura went back to her homework and Kero to his game, though his mind was not completely into it. 'One that I don't know?' he thought. 'Hmmmm.....'  
  
----------  
  
Darkness.  
  
That was all it knew. It was darkness in a sense. Light was something it could never know, and it never had wanted to know.  
  
Until now.  
  
When it had seen her, something about her moved it in a way it had never felt before. Now...now it wanted to know more. Not expirence it, but learn of it and why others want it so badly.  
  
If it showed, she would appear. It was certain of that. But it was not strong enough just yet. It would gather more of its hosts' 'viles' first and bide its time.  
  
Then it would strike.  
  
In the mean time though....  
  
----------  
  
Sakura tossed and turned in her bed, nightmares taking their toll on her. She saw Tomoyo, Meilin, and Li. They were looking at her. Just looking, nothing more. Something was behind them, coming closer. She tried to warn them, but she could not form the words. Whatever it was behind them formed itself into a humanoid shape; a deadly sharp blade in its hand. She watched in horror as it slashed the blade. Once. Twice. Three times. Her friends' bodies fell in a heap, their severed heads hitting the floor beside them, their hollow eyes still looking at her.  
  
Sakura screamed as she flew straight up in her bed. Her hands pressed against her head, trying to get her breathing and heartbeat normal.  
  
"Sakura! What's wrong?!" Kero said, flying to her.  
  
"Th-they're dead!" she whispered.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"They're dead! They were all killed!"  
  
"What are ya talkin' about, Sakura? Who was killed?"  
  
Regaining control of herself, she managed to get out, "Nothing. Never mind, Kero-chan. Just a mightmare. Nothing more."  
  
"Hey, ain't ya supposed ta meet some of yer friends today or somethin'?"  
  
"HOE?" Sakura scrambled out of bed and grabbed her clock. "ACK! 10:07??! I overslept!!" She jumped up and into some clothes before rushing out of her room, saying a hasty goodbye to Kero.  
  
She ran downstairs, threw on her shoes, and ran to the park at top speed, hoping her friends stayed a bit longer. She looked up and saw Tomoyo and Reika along with Mieling sitting on a bench near the fountain. They saw her coming and stood, waving as she headed towards them.  
  
"'Bout time you got here," Reika said through a smile.  
  
"Gomen ne!" Sakura said through short breaths. "I slept in!"  
  
"Well, we figured that, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said. "Come on. Let's go!"  
  
----------  
  
The girls went to all their favorite stores, looking and buying something every now and then, talking as they went along. When lunch-time came around, they decided to go to the food court. Sakura and Reika sat at a table while Mieling and Tomoyo got in line to order.  
  
"I'm pooped!" Sakura said with a sigh.  
  
"You certainly look like it," Reika said.  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
After a few seconds, Reika asked, "Anything new happen lately, Sakura- chan?"  
  
"New? Nah, not really. Oh! I got another e-mail from Li-kun!" she said with a huge grin. "Every time he sends me one, I feel like he's back here and not in Hong Kong. I hope he gets back soon. It's too quiet without him he--Hoe? Hey, Reika-chan?" Sakura said in a confused voice, studying her friend. "What's wrong?"  
  
Reika was staring at Sakura as if she had sprourted two more heads. A strange look appeared on her face. "Sakura-chan?" she said in a voice that seemed to be confused. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Sakura blinked, not knowing how to respond. Before she could, the other two girls appeared with the food and the conversation was promptly forgotten for the time being.  
  
----------  
  
Darkness...  
  
Coldness...  
  
Blackness...  
  
Loneliness....  
  
Those words described it through and through. It lived those words daily. It was those words. Nothing would ever change that, nothing. No matter how many it gathered, no matter how much it extract from its hosts, no matter how much it yearned for more, it would stay like this for eternity. It only wished there was a way to tell her that....to convey the meaning behind its existance...but it could not...ever....  
  
----------  
  
Students milled around the school courtyard, different conversations traveling from one mouth to pair of ears and back again. Several groups were seated here and there as they ate their lunch. A group of boys had started a soccer game off to the side, a group of girls were giggling over the latest gossip from one another, a couple groups were studying for an upcoming test.  
  
Only two people had serious looks. They were in the back of the school, away from prying eyes, discussing something no one else could comprehend correctly or completely. They told information, tossed out possibilities if something happened, and above all else, an certain individual's wellfare.  
  
"She can't learn of this."  
  
"I agree, but how can we stop it before it gets to her?"  
  
"Make sure no one mentions it around her. If they do and she hears it, she'll confront us about it and then it will all be over."  
  
"Indeed. But how can we keep something like this bottled up for long."  
  
"Hopefully by the time she hears, we'll have found it. Or better yet, killed it."  
  
"But how? Only she has the powers to kill it. Can it even be killed?"  
  
"For what it did," Meilin said, eyes narrowed, punching her palm with her fist, "*I'LL* kill it personally."  
  
Tomoyo looked at the ground, some how doubting Meilin abilities against it. "Anyway, let's go see her, before she gets suspicious."  
  
"Hai."  
  
----------  
  
"Meilin-chan! Now!!" Sakura shouted, throwing the Windy card to the ground and twirling her staff to release it.  
  
"Hai!" Meilin responded, running a short distance before rebounding off a streetlight and aimed her foot for a kick at the strange creature in front of her.  
  
It was late at night in the middle of the park. Sakura, Meilin, Tomoyo and Kero were in the middle of a Card Capture. The Card was a tall figure with long, thin limbs, its fingers long like spears. Its skin was a yellowish white and its eyes were huge and solid green, white hair flared out around its head above its narrow shoulders. It was crouched down on its long legs, watching Meilin and ignoring Sakura completely.  
  
Meilin's foot was grabbed and twisted quickly. Meilin cringed as pain ripped up her leg. The Card drew back its free hand and drove it forewards to impale Meilin.  
  
"WINDY!!" Sakura shouted, her staff focusing in the Card's direction. With a flash of bright light, Windy appeared. Tomoyo moved the camera to get a good shot of the Card forming. She frowned, something was different than when Windy was usually summoned....  
  
"Protect Meilin-chan!" Sakura's shout cut through Tomoyo's thought. Windy flew and wrapped itself around Meilin just as the Card was about to strike her. The fingers dug into Windy instead. Sakura gasped as she saw Windy's face wince in pain and a whiteish blue fluid began to flow from around the attacking Card's hand. The Card's face broke into a grin as it turned its hand and ripped it across Windy's side.  
  
"She...she's *bleeding*??!!" Tomoyo gasped, her camera shaking slightly as nausea formed into a knot at her stomach.  
  
The Card released Meilin's foot and lept up, its claws ripping the wound open. The Card soared high into the air, rotating on its own, the fluid from Windy flying out in all directions.  
  
"Don't touch the fluid!!" Kero shouted, panic in his voice.  
  
The hairs on the back of Sakura's neck stood up. Reflex took control as the drops of fluid began to fall. She threw out the Sheild Card as fast as she could. "SHEILD!! Release and dispel! Protect us from harm!!" she shouted. A bubble encased each one, the fluid bouncing off. When it struck the pavement it ate through the cement, creating holes.  
  
The attacking Card floated down, grinning at Sakura with its arms crossed. Sakura quickly recalled Windy, hoping the Card would heal in its sealed form.  
  
"Kero-chan! How do I seal it?!" she shouted, aiming her staff at the Card.  
  
"T-try saying its name!" said Kero, though he didn't sound so sure of himself....  
  
"HOW?!?" she shouted, frustrated. "I have no freaking idea as to its name so...how..." she trailed off, staring at what the Card was doing now.  
  
It was floating in mid-air, its legs crossed Idian-stlye under it as if it was sitting on the floor. Its arms were out to its sides. A low sound was coming from it. Its large green eyes closed.  
  
"What's it doing?" Meilin said softly, not wanting to disdurb it. She gently rubbed her ankle, wincing slightly.  
  
"I don't know," replied Tomoyo, zooming in on the Card.  
  
As if in slow motion, the Card moved its hands to its front, curling its middlefinger, ringfinger, and thumb into its palm. The sound began to increase. Sakura strained to hear it.  
  
Kero's eyes stayed fixed on the Card, his fur raised a bit. Which Card was it? Movment caught his attention. He stole a glance to the ground. His jaw dropped when he saw Windy's blood begin to rise out of the holes it created and float towards the Card. The Card's hand circled around each other, the blood coming at a faster rate. The sounds it was making increased. Suddenly realization struck Kero. "Cover your ears!!" he shouted, following his own advice. Meilin nodded, doing so. Tomoyo had ear plugs on hand and quickly plugged her ears.  
  
Sakura did not move.  
  
"Sakura-chan! Didn't ya hear me?!" Kero shouted, worry starting to show in his voice when he got no reasponse from her. "Sakura-chan! Sakura?!!"  
  
The Card suddenly threw its arms back out to the sides, fingers still as they were. Its eyes snapped open, glowering maliciously. It grinned as it continued its chant, saying in almost a scream:  
  
Power of my Master  
  
Obey me, Thy caster!  
  
Gather, vitals!  
  
Together, combine!  
  
Defeat the trials!  
  
Both yours and mine!  
  
"SAKURA!!!" Kero shouted, being joined by Meilin and Tomoyo, seeing something was wrong.  
  
Sakura's form suddenly became rigid, her mouth opened in a silent scream. Her hands opened, her staff clattering to the floor, then curled in pain. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she doubled over, arms pressing down against her stomach.  
  
"SAKURAAAAA!!!!" Kero shouted, flying towards her. Sheild was still in effect, so when Kero reached her, he bounced off. He straightened, remembering his own orders and covering his ears again.  
  
"Sakura-chan! What's wrong?!" Tomoya shouted above the Card's chanting.  
  
Without warning or reason, a large cut appeared on both of Sakura's wrists, blood pouring out. With a triumphant smirk, the Card threw back its head and shouted, "VITALS!!! GATHER UNTO ME!!!"  
  
A clap of thunder sounded. The blood pooling around Sakura's arms flew towards the Card, mixing with Windy's.  
  
"Stop it!" Meilin screamed, rushing at the Card. She spun in mid-air and slapped the Card upside its smug face. "Leave Sakura-chan alone!"  
  
Another clap of thunder sounded. The Card had started to glare at Meilin and prepare an attack, but it stopped, titling its head to the side. A look crossed its face. The Card lept back, cupping its hands around the collected ball of blood, cutting the flow from Sakura off, and disappeared.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo shouted, running to her friend's side as she fell to the ground. She pulled out a first aid kit she kept for emergencies and started to bandage Sakura's wounds, all the while shouting her name, trying to get her green eyes to open.  
  
----------  
  
Faster. Harder. Swifter. Deadlier.  
  
The words ran through the warrior's mind while laying awake, comtemplating the meaning of The Master's words. All ways the same thing. But why?  
  
'I've been here for almost eight complete years. When will it be suffice.'  
  
Memories as to why the young warrior left home came to mind. Tears started to form.  
  
'Eight years and not one word. I hope he turns up soon...'  
  
Crashing and explosions caught the warrior's attention. The warrior sprang up in bed, calming the alerted nerves as was taught, and running to the door. Racing to the study, where the noise was coming from, the door was thrown open, bearly noticing the scalding temperature the doorknob held.  
  
"Sensei!!"  
  
The scream was drowned as the flames of the fire licked upwards, touching the roof high above head.  
  
"Sensei!!" the warrior screamed, running down the stairs, not caring of the damage the flames and splintering wood inflicted.  
  
Movement caught the warrior's attention. "Sensei!!" Quickly rushing to the lower deck, the warrior seized hold of the crushed desk that had once been The Master's, now just firewood. The desk was pulled back to reveil an old man, fire burning all around him, almost dead.  
  
"Sensei! Sensei!"  
  
The old man opened his eyes and looked at his young pupil. He managed a small smile. "Me child..." he whispered, his words bearly audible amist the roaring fire.  
  
"Sensei! Don't move!" the warrior ordered, reaching down and kneeling next to The Master, wondering how to help.  
  
"No...me time has come...do not try...to stop it..."  
  
"No! No! You can't leave, Sensei! I've still so much I need to learn from you! So much!"  
  
"I must...here...take..me hand...." The old man took hold of the warrior's, who returned it, curious as to what the Master was planning. "I must go...but...I give to ye...a part...of meself...to help with...what I twasn't able...to finish..."  
  
A bright flash of light engulfed both Master and student, increasing the fire's flames a bit...  
  
By the end of the night, residents all over the coastline talked about the strange fire that had taken the life of the old man and his grandchild. Many were saddened because the two had all ways been there for anyone in need. The grandchild especially was missed. The community mourned the loss of the youth that had given more than was even thought of receiving in return. Many wondered why the youth had done so much and politely turned down any thanks that was offered in the form of money or potential spouses.  
  
Yet they did not notice the slight breeze that heralded the coming of the winds of change. Change that blew the grandchild away from the little town in their corner of Southern Ireland and to the new destiny awaiting half way across the world.  
  
To Tomoeda, Japan. To a young girl who shared the name of a fragile, beautiful flower....  
  
TBC(to be continued)...  
  
~~~~~  
  
What do you think?! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!  
  
==Seishin no Maigo== 


	2. Questions...

A.N.: You're back? ARIGATO!!!!  
  
==Seishin no Maigo==  
  
THE SEARCHING  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
Questions....  
  
"...Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan, wake up."  
  
Sakura groaned, rolling over. "Five more minutes Kero-chan...five more..."  
  
"Sakura, please wake up."  
  
Sakura frowned as she slowly become aware. Meilin? What was she doing in her room? Then Sakura realized she was not in her bed. Nor was she in her room. She opened her eyes and blinked, trying to focuse them. Why was everything so fuzzy? And why was she so tired? "Wha...?" she tried to say, beginning to move.  
  
"Careful!" Tomoyo cautioned, reaching over and laying a steadying hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You've lost a lot of blood and you need to rest."  
  
"What? Blood? What are you--" Sakura broke off when she started to push up on her hands. She bit her lip to keep in a scream of pain. She raised her arms and looked at them. She was shocked to see the stained bandages wrapped around them.  
  
"Don't you remember?" Meilin asked, worry crossing her face.  
  
"Remember? Remember what?" Sakura said, looking into her friends' faces. "Where are we? How did we get outside? Was I sleep walking again?"  
  
"Uh--yeah. Good thing we found you, eh?" Kero said, forcing a grin.  
  
"Hai. What time is it?"  
  
"It's late. We should be able to sneak you back in your house though, Sakura-chan," Meilin said, helping her up.  
  
"Yeah, thanks guys," she said, making a smile through the pain her wounds made.  
  
As they started back to her house, Kero, Tomoyo, and Meilin exchanged a secret glance. Kero nodded. Tomoyo nodded in response. Meiling got into position behind Sakura. With the speed she usually kept to herself, Tomoyo pulled out a small syringe from her pockect and stabbed Sakura on her shoulder with it. Sakura stiffened, when fell limp into Meilin's waiting arms. Sakura's eyes glazed over, confusion evident in them. Before she passed out again, she saw Tomoyo's face hovering over her. "Gomen nasai, Sakura-chan," she whispered, tears swimming in her eyes. "I had to."  
  
----------  
  
The dirt road was absent of all life, the road itself void of any tracks of any kind. Save one.  
  
A tall figure walked, eyes glancing around in case anyone showed. Eight long years gone and the Warrior hardly recognized the place. It had taken one month of traveling since The Master's death before signs of reaching the destination showed. The Warrior still grieved the loss but knew the time was ripe for the taking. Plus eight years could mean he was back.  
  
'Where is everyone?' The further the Warrior walked, the more deserted things looked. Trees became bare of leaves, plants shriveled and dry, flower beds long since dead. It was as if the area itself was dead. 'Has that much changed since I left?'  
  
"Don't be fooled," the one beside the Warrior remarked, blue eyes gazing down the road at their destination. "Many things have happened as a result of your departure, but things still feel the same."  
  
"I shouldn't have left," the Warrior said.  
  
"You know you did. Besides, nothing you could have done would have changed anything."  
  
"Maybe..." The warrior trailed off when a huge wall with a large gate come into view in front of the two. "Here we go," the Warrior said as the other hid. Reaching out, the Warrior opened the gate's doors and walked through. The inside was something similiar to a large town; houses, markets, stores, anything needed to make it a livable place. The only thing was it was just like the road leading there: empty. They both continued on their way, heading down the street towards a massive structure in the distance.  
  
The Li Palace.  
  
----------  
  
"You must decide what to do!" an elder exclaimed to the one seated in an elaborately decorated throne; the current leader of the Li Clan.  
  
"The people are demanding that the Gates be unsealed," another said, this one slightly younger. "Our provisions are slowly being depleted, before long, we will have nothing to eat or drink." The statment caused many murmurs of agreements from the others around him.  
  
The one on the throne was a woman. A woman who was obviously tired and needed rest. "My mind will not change," she spoke, silencing the advicers and elders in front of her. "You know as well as I do that nothing good can come of it." Her eyes closed and she laid a hand over them as she sighed, "Nothing can be done. It's too late....far too late."  
  
"Now that's interesting."  
  
Everyone jerked at the sound of the strange voice. The elders turned, hands already in position to cast an attack spell if the intruder moved an inch. Standing in the center of the spacious room was a person, true form hidden inside the black cloak that was egded in dark, royal blue fabric. An insignia of old Celtic design ran down the middle of the cloak in the same dark blue. The person stood around six feet tall, broad shoulders back and head high, showing there was no one the person feared in the room.  
  
The Li leader frowned, her eyes moving around the person, studying the aura. It seemed familiar...  
  
The person spoke again, causing a few others in the room to look at the leader in confusion at the words, "Wasn't it you who taught me that it was never too late, for anything?"  
  
The woman gasped, eyes wide. She stood, rushing to the person. Several elders blocked her way, saying she should stay back. "It is you!" she whispered, trying to reach out, tears running down her face. "It is you! You're back!"  
  
"Yes." The hood was pulled back, showing a smiling face that said, "And it's good to be back."  
  
----------  
  
'What is going on?' Sakura thought.  
  
After going to school and going through the first three periods, Sakura knew something was wrong. First off, she did not rememebr cutting her wrists. Secondly, several classmates were giving her strange looks all through the day. And finally, Tomoyo and Meilin were not at school.  
  
'I just saw them yesterday,' Sakura thought, biting into her sandwich. 'They seemed fine then. So where--'  
  
"Uh--Sakura-chan?"  
  
Sakura looked up to see Chiharu standing beside her. "Chiharu-chan!" Sakura said, smiling at her friend. "Hi!" She stopped, seeing the nervous look on her face. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Sakura put her lunch to the side and stood, facing her.  
  
"Hai, I'm fine," Chiharu said, fidgeting with her hands a bit. "Its-- um--it's...it's you, Sakura-chan."  
  
Sakura blinked. "Hoe?"  
  
"Sakura-chan, what's wrong with you?" Chiharu blurted. "You've been acting so strange. You've been talking about things that you know aren't true and it's really starting to worry us. Rika-chan told me that yesterday you told her you got an e-mail from Li-kun and she was really upset about it. Sakura-chan, why did you say that? You know how worried we are about him, don't make us worry about you t--"  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Sakura intterupted, thoughts whirling through her head. Nothing Chiharu was saying made sense. "What about Li- kun?! Why're you all so worried?! He's in Hong Kong!"  
  
Chiharu's eyes widened. "'Hong Kong'?!? What are *you* talking about?!"  
  
----------  
  
Not barely half an hour later, Sakura tore through Tomoyo's front door, ignoring the maids that let out a startled yell as she ran past them. She ran up the stairs and to Tomoyo's room. Nearly tearing the door off its hinges, Sakura entered the room, eyes narrowed on the room's two occupants.  
  
Tomoyo and Meilin stood from their chairs, eyes wide and mouths hanging opened in shock at seeing Sakura there. "S-Sakura-chan!" Meilin said. "What are you--"  
  
Before she could finish, Sakura ran from her place, slamming the door shut behind her, and tackled Meilin, knocking over the chair as the two girls hit the floor. Sakura's hands grabbed Meiling throat tightly. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!?!!" she roared, her green eyes narrowed.  
  
"Sakura-chan! What're you doing?! Get off her!" Tomoyo said.  
  
Sakura ignored her. "Why?!" she shouted, her grip tightening. "Why didn't you tell me the truth!?!"  
  
Meilin tried to pry her hands away but for some reason they would not move. She struggled to breath.  
  
"What are you talking about?! What truth?!" Tomoyo said, franticly trying to think of something to do.  
  
"Why?!" Sakura screamed, tears suddenly running down her face. "Why?! Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you tell me about Li?!?!"  
  
Tomoyo froze. Meilin, though she was being chocked, stiffened.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Sakura sobbed, her grip on the other girl lossening enough so Meilin could answer her.  
  
"We--we thought it was for the best," Meiling got out, still trying to get free.  
  
"The best?!" Sakura shouted. "The best?!? How could you two do this to me?! How?!" She let go, hands covering her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.  
  
Meilin got out from under her and sat up, rubbing her throat gently.  
  
Tomoyo reached over and put an arm around Sakura. "It was during a Card capture. After it happened," she said softly, "you didn't say anything about it. We thought you didn't want to talk about it. But then we realized you didn't remember. Nothing we said caused any reaction of it. So...we decided not to bring it up. We told you Li-kun was in Hong Kong so you wouldn't worry. Meilin knows how to access his e-mail and we were the ones sending you the e-mails."  
  
"But why?" Sakura sobbed. "Why, Tomoyo-chan? Why can't I remember it?"  
  
"Self-delusion."  
  
The three raised their heads to the window. Ceroberus flew in, carrying a large bag around his neck. It dropped the bag and changed back into Kero-chan. He floated over to Sakura. "You didn't want to believe what you saw, so you blocked it out of your own memory. I'm sorry we decieved you for so long, Sakura-chan."  
  
Tomoyo, Meilin, and Kero waited, holding their breath. What would she do now? She knew they had been hiding it for so long, so they expected her to blow up, to scream obcenities at them, to even pull out a Card and hurt them. They did not expect her to raise her head, wipe her tears and say in a strong voice, "Show me the tape."  
  
Tomoyo stiffened. She started to object, but then nodded and stood, walking to a large cabinet where she kept the videos of Sakura during a capture. She ran her eyes over the many labels before pulling one out. She went over to a TV set in one corner of the room. The others followed, Meilin taking the bag with her. Tomoyo put the tape in the machine. As it played, she remembered herself what had happened....  
  
*ONE YEAR AGO*  
  
"Any more ideas, Kero?!" Sakura shouted, recalling the crippled Earthy.  
  
The five stood in Peguin Park. Like old times, they were trying to capture a Card. Unlike old times, this Card was tough to beat. All the Cards Sakura used were beaten in one blow and unable to fight at all. It had been almost an hour since they started and they were no where near finished.  
  
The Card looked almost like a cross between the Shadow and the Time Cards. It had a cloak and hood, the color being a deep grey, that hid its appearance yet they had seen glimpes of hands and a throat underneath during the fighting. Every time the attacking Card struck, it was a simple wave of its 'arm' and the other Card simply fell, not moving.  
  
"What kind of Card *is* this?!" Syaoran said, flipping his sword to his other hand.  
  
"How am I supposed to know?!" Kero shouted.  
  
Syaoran shot him a look.  
  
"Oh, right, anyway... Have you tried every Card, Sakura?!"  
  
"Hai!" she shouted, eyes still on the Card. "So what do we do now?!"  
  
"Well, try again! Ya might have worn it down some, ya know!"  
  
Sakura turned to glare at Kero. "'Worn it down'?! It's still good to go and it's almost midnight, Kero-chan! I don't think we've done anything to i--"  
  
"Look out!!"  
  
Sakura whipped her head around the see the Card racing towards her, arms outstreatched to snare her. She tried to reach for a Card but her body would not respond. Suddenly she was slammed into, the blow shoving her away. She looked up just in time to see the Card wrap its arms tightly around Syaoran. "NO!!" Sakura yelled, grabbing his hand as the Card started to back away.  
  
"Sakura, let go!" Syaoran said. "It'll get you too!"  
  
"No! I won't!" Sakura said, shaking her head. "I won't!!"  
  
"Sakura--" Before he could get another word out, the Card reached out and took hold of Syaoran's arm that Sakura was holding onto. Sakura was slightly shocked to see that the hand looked fairly youthfull. Too youthfull...  
  
A sickening snap and Syaoran's scream shook Sakura out of her shock. The Card had pulled Syaoran's arm from her hand, the force obviously breaking his it. Syaoran gritted his teeth in an attempt to stop screaming.  
  
"Syaoran! No!!" Sakura pulled out the Power Card and started to activate it. The Card let go of Syaoran's arm and took hold of his neck. Sakura stopped, knowing what the Card implied. "No! No!" Sakura yelled, trying to think of what to do.  
  
"Let him go!!" Meilin shouted, her leg kicking the back of the Card's head.  
  
The Card still kept its hold on Syaoran. It turned its head in her direction as she landed. It moved its free arm downwards towards her. Meilin was thrown back, connecting with a streetlamp. She fell limply to the floor.  
  
"Meilin!" Sakura shouted. Meilin groaned, trying to get up. Her arms could move but her legs were numb.  
  
"Why you!!" Syaoran gripped his sword in his uninjured fist and drove it behind him, into the front of the Card. "LIGHTENING!!" he shouted. Electricity flowed from the sword into the Card. Nothing happened. Syaoran's eyes widened in disbelief.  
  
"Syaoran!" Sakura started to run towards him, thinking Meilin distracted it enough. The Card saw her and moved its arm to attack her next.  
  
Syaoran wound his good arm around it, pulling it away from Sakura. "Leave her alone!" he said, eyes blazing with anger. "Take me! But leave her alone!"  
  
The three girls and Guardian of the Seal stopped all that they were doing, staring at Syaoran.  
  
"...very well..."  
  
All five jerked in surprise at hearing it speak. "It can talk?" Kero mumbled.  
  
The Card's cloak opened, reveiling nothing but a black abyss. The Card closed his arms around Syaoran, his body began to disappear into the Card. It was absorbing him.  
  
"No," Sakura breathed, her hands shaking in horror. "No. No. No!!" she shrieked, dropping her staff and rushing towards him. A transparent, grayish bubble encased the Card and Syaoran. Sakura bounced off, skidding to stop on the ground. She looked up to see that his upper body was only left, but even that was vanishing before her eyes. "No!!" Sakura screamed, tears running down her face. "No!! Syaoran, don't go!!"  
  
Pained, fiery amber eyes locked onto terrified, deep green ones, silencing her cries for the breifest second. In that one second, he whispered, "I love you...." The blackness overcame him entirely. A swirl of gray smoke encircled the Card and it evaporated.  
  
Gone.  
  
"NOO!!" Sakura screamed. "NOOOO!!! SYAORAN!!!!!" Her scream echoed throughout Tokyo.  
  
*PRESENT*  
  
Tomoyo shut off the tape. Sakura still stared at the screen, fresh tears still falling.  
  
Hesitantly, Meilin unzipped the bag and pulled out the object Kero had kept under her bed the past year. Also in there were several other tapes Tomoyo had given to Kero to review. They would have to show her them as well soon. Meilin held it out to Sakura. The other girl turned and saw it.  
  
Syaoran's sword.  
  
Reaching out, Sakura took hold of the hilt. She could still the comfort of his aura around it, its presence caused her to smile sadly. She ran a hand down the blade, saying, "I going to get him back. One way or another, I will have my Syaoran back."  
  
----------  
  
The time had come. Everything was in place. It was strong enough now to show once more. But first, a little fun...  
  
----------  
  
Sakura sat on Tomoyo's bed, hugging her knees as she thought of all that happened in the past hour.  
  
Beside the attempted Card Capture that took Syaoran, there had been many others, only the Card that they had fought the other night. All ways after, Sakura would not remember it. Last night was the only time it had injured any of them.  
  
'Two new Cards we have to deal with,' Sakura thought. 'One can hurt the Sakura Cards with minamal effort and absorb us into it. The other can cut through anything fairly deep and control blood it seems like. How are we ever going to get through this?'  
  
Her mind wandered a bit, turning to the fight a year ago. Sakura tightened her grip on her knees. Syaoran's words echoed in her mind.  
  
I love you...  
  
'Did he really mean it?' she thought. 'Was he honest? Or...was it just because he thought he was going to die? Maybe it was just like some spur of the moment thing. He might not have known what he was saying. I'm so confused...' She rubbed her aching temples. She herself had come to the conclusion many years ago that she loved him. At first she thought it to be a crush, like with Yukito, but she realized it was pure love she felt towards him. Half of her wanted his words to be true, that he loved her in return. The other half kept coming up with more and more doubts.  
  
"Dai jo bu, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, sitting on the bed beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts.  
  
"I'll be fine, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said, managing a weak smile.  
  
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. And that you found out from Chiharu-chan."  
  
"It's okay. Really," Sakura tried to reassure her friend. "The way I was acting it would have happened sooner or later."  
  
"You've got that right," Meilin said, dropping onto her back at the foot of the bed. "Tired..." she mumbled, making a face.  
  
"What were you two doing during school?" Sakura asked, wanting to kept her thoughts preoccupied.  
  
Meilin looked to the side, advoiding her gaze.  
  
"Meilin-chan, tell her," Tomoyo said with a sigh. "Besides, I'm a little curious to hear the entire story."  
  
"Okay," she mumbled. She sat up, crossing her legs under her, facing Sakura. "Well, Tomoyo-chan, Kero-chan, and I have been studying up on these two new Cards."  
  
Sakura leaned in closer, her ears and eyes focused on what Meilin was saying completely.  
  
"After knowing that you didn't remember the fight and the first time we fought the second new Card," Meilin began, "I wrote home, saying something had come up and that I needed some books to do research on it. Almost immedeatly, I got a reply..."  
  
*TEN MONTHS AGO*  
  
DING-DONG.  
  
Meilin frowned as she looked over towards the enteryway hall of her apartment. "Who on earth?" She turned back to her computer and typed in a message to Tomoyo, who she had been chatting to.  
  
M: Tomoyo-chan, I'll be right back, someone's at the door.  
  
T: Okay.  
  
Meilin got out of her chair and walked to the door. She looked through the peephole. No one was there. "What?" Meilin unlocked her various locks on the door and opened it. She instantly regretted it. Something blunt and hard struck her forehead. She was thrown back by the force of the blow. She landed on the floor, trying to gain control of her senses. What had hit her? She managed to raise her head high enough to see a pair of cold blue eyes staring down on her before a flash of feathers washed over her eyes. Then blackness.  
  
Eventually, Meilin groaned, opening her eyes.  
  
"*About time.*"  
  
Meilin jerked, her eyes going wide at the sound of someone speaking Cantonese perfectly. She stopped. She could not see. 'There's nothing covering my eyes though...' Her thoughts ended when she tried to stand and found her arms and legs were tied to a chair. 'What--'  
  
"*Speak. What happened to Syaoran? Out with it!*" the person spoke harshly.  
  
"*I--I don't know!*" Meilin replied. "*I don't!*"  
  
Silence. "*You don't?*" The voice seemed unsure.  
  
"*No, I don't!*" 'Who is that? The voice sounds familar.'  
  
"*Let her go.*"  
  
Meilin's vision aburtly returned. She gasped, seeing the two in front of her. One was human, a woman of about twenty-five or so. The other was not human in the least bit. It looked like a hybrid of a cat and bird. It was balanced on its haunches yet it was obvious that it was used to walking on all fours, its front paws raised towards Meilin, glowing a dull blueish color. Its head was cat-like yet ended in a curved beak, which was opened, showing three rows of sharp, pointed teeth. Its eyes were small and black, resting on Meilin. Its ears were short and hidden by gray speckled black feathers that ran down and covered its entire body. Its large pair of wings were currently flared out, pure black. Meilin felt her arms and legs loosened from their 'bonds'. The blue color disappeared and the animal went down on all its feet, sctratching the back of its head with a back paw. Once finished, it jumped, flapping its wings and landing on the woman's shoulders, beady eyes still on the girl before them.  
  
The woman was normal looking with black hair and blue eyes, standing just bearly five feet. She was clothed in green Chinese clothes, on the front of her chest was the Ying-Yang symbol.  
  
Meilin knew who they were. There was no way she could forget them. She stood, her head throbbing from moving so fast and the blow she had taken. She bowed to the woman, and said, "*It is good to see you in good health, Chiyu-sama.*"  
  
"*Only good phyical health,*" the woman corrected, worry suddenly overtaking her once icy features. "*Mentally and emotionally not so good.*"  
  
"*If I may ask, why?*"  
  
Chiyu smiled slightly. "*Raise your head, Meilin. And drop the formalities. I'm sorry for attacking you and casting a 'binding' spell on you. You're letter was...most disturbing, to say the least.*"  
  
"*Oh,*" was all Meilin could say as she faced her.  
  
"*I came on my own, if you're wondering about that. The Head Li doesn't know I'm here.*" Chiyu smiled at her expression. "*I got the letter before anyone else and came directly after reading it.*" She reached into the bag around her shoulder and pulled out a large bundle. "*I brought these, thinking you would need them.*"  
  
Meilin accepted it, surprised at the weight.  
  
"*Per your request, 'research material',*" Chiyu said with a bit of a chuckle.  
  
*PRESENT*  
  
"...she left soon after," Meilin said, shrugging.  
  
"Who was she? And what was that...thing she had?" Sakura asked.  
  
Meilin gave her a strange look before she burst out in laughter.  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo exchanged a confused glance. Meilin soon stopped laughing and said between giggles, "You--you don't know? She--haha--she was Syaoran's--hehehe--*sister*!"  
  
"NANI?!?" Sakura gasped, shocked.  
  
Meilin nodded, grinning at her friend's face. "His second eldest sister, Li Chiyu!" She winked and held up two finigers. "*Second* most protective, also!"  
  
"HOE!!" Sakura gagged on her breath.  
  
"She thought maybe I had had something to do with his disappearance, that's why she attacked me," Meilin explained.  
  
"What was that thing she had with her?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"It was her Guardian," Meilin said. "The members of the Head Family all posess great magical powers. Only a choice few, however, can use their magic and create a life. A companion. For Chiyu, that was her last step to acheiving her position as Guardian of the Library. It's not as boring as it seems," Meilin added. "Many people want the books in the Li Clan's Library, so it needs a Guardian with strong magic. Even she is threatened by the idiots that want books for their own selfish needs. Having a Guardian herself is a big help. Its name is Yang."  
  
"Oh," Tomoyo said, a bit confused.  
  
"What were in the books she gave you?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Documents Clow Reed made about his creations, studies done on the Clow Cards and Book--as well as Kero."  
  
"Right on!!" Kero cheered from his place at the TV, watching the tape of the fight again.  
  
"We've been going over all the tapes as well as these books in hopes to find something that will help us." A shadow fell over Meilin's face. "So far, nothing."  
  
"But...you three have had almost a year," Sakura pointed out.  
  
"And still not much," Tomoyo said, sighing.  
  
"There's something that's really been bothering me though," Meilin said slowly.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"When the Card pulled Syaoran's arm from you and broke it, he screamed louder than I've ever heard him."  
  
"So?" Sakura said, shrugging.  
  
"He's broken quite a few bones over the years," Meilin continued, "and he never yelled that loudly, included the time he got a triple compound fracture in his leg."  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo winced.  
  
"I'm just curious as to why it hurt him so much," Meilin said, shaking her head.  
  
"THAT'S IT!!"  
  
The three girl nearly fell over at the shout. Kero was doing somersaults in the air. "What's it?" Sakura said, getting off the bed and coming up beside him.  
  
"I saw it! I saw it!" he repeated.  
  
"Saw what?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Look here," he said, floating over to the screen. He had paused it where the Card had thrown Meilin into the streetlamp.  
  
"So?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"What was it I said to you that was so strange about the Card?" Kero asked her and Meilin.  
  
"Uh--that we never saw its back?" Meilin said.  
  
"Yosh! Now look here," he pointed to the screen. They all leaned in and stared hard.  
  
"It...looks like a mark of some sort," Sakura said after a while.  
  
"Exactly!" Kero said, smirking smuggly. "This mark on its back might be the key to sealing it!"  
  
"Yeah! But...what it is the mark of?"  
  
All four stopped. In unison four groans of frustraion sounded. It was going to be a long fight...  
  
TBC... 


	3. Additions...

A.N.; Uh, some things are happening, so I don't know when I'll be able to update, that's why I put the first three chapters up at one time. Enjoy!  
  
==Seishin no Maigo==  
  
THE SEARCHING  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
Additions...  
  
A taxi pulled up in front of the Kinomoto residence. The rider got out, thanking the driver after paying. Standing in the twilight's slightly chilly air, looking over the structure, a smile played on a michevious face.  
  
----------  
  
"Man, it's late!" Meilin exclaimed, glancing at her watch.  
  
"Yeah, you're right!" Sakura agreed. "We better head back home."  
  
"Hai," Tomoyo said, picking up her bags.  
  
The three girls were at the shopping district. It had been a few days since Sakura had been told the truth about Syouran. She had been handling it well. No attacks had been made and neither Sakura or Kero-chan had felt any Cards' presence. That day the girls were having a sleep over at Sakura's house.  
  
"What do you guys want to do when we get to my house?" Sakura asked as they crossed the crosswalk.  
  
Meilin opened her mouth to answer. Before she could, someone plowed into her. She stumbled, knocking into Sakura, who fell against Tomoyo sending them crashing to the ground. Meilin caught her footing before she fell and turned to the stranger, shouting angerily, "Hey! Watch where you're going!"  
  
The stranger straightened as well. Meilin stopped as her eyes caught sight of the face. It was a guy a bit older than herself, simple circle sunglasses hiding his eyes from view. The sun glared down on her from behind him, disrubting the color of his long hair. Something was familiar about him. He stood still. Meilin could feel his gaze on her. Slowly, the guy reached up and raised his sunglasses enough to where Meilin could see that his eyes were a deep golden color.  
  
Sakura helped Tomoyo up and looked towards Meilin. "Meilin-chan! Dai jo...bu...?" Her sentence trailed off as she watched the guy turn swiftly and walk off into the crowd. "Kaho-san!!??" Sakura shouted.  
  
"Sakura-chan? What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked, not having seen him.  
  
"That was Kaho-san!" Sakura said, pointing after him. "I'm sure it was! The same hair color and style!" She glanced around before whispering, "And I felt her aura!"  
  
"Sakura-chan," Meilin said, "that was a guy."  
  
"No it wasn't. That--that had to be Kaho-san," Sakura insisted. "It had to be."  
  
"I know what I saw, Sakura-chan. That was a *guy*."  
  
"Then....then why did his aura make me think of Kaho-san?" she said, scratching the back of her head.  
  
"Don't know," Meilin said, glancing in the direction he had left as they picked up their backs and continued on their way.  
  
----------  
  
"You guys finally came back," Touya said, smirking as the three girls came down the stairs in their pajamas.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean, Oni-chan?" Sakura said, glaring at her brother.  
  
Touya, even though he had spent a few years in college all ready, had moved back in with his father and Sakura, saying he wanted to take a year or so off and think about what he wanted to major in. Fujitaka was at a museum in the greater Tokyo area and would not be back for a few more days.  
  
"Nothing," Touya said.  
  
Sakura 'hpm'ed as she and the other two walked into the kitchen, grabbing a few snacks before going back up to her room. The three talked long into the night, sharing their snacks with Kero-chan. Before long they were all too tired to continue so they settled down in their sleeping bags.  
  
"Oh! Wait a second!" Sakura said, thinking of something. She jumped up and shut the door before going over and locking all her windows.  
  
"You're paraniod, Sakura-chan," Meilin said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Better safe than sorry," Tomoyo said, smiling.  
  
----------  
  
Meilin yawned as she sat up. 'Why am I awake?' she thought, looking around and seeing Sakura and Tomoyo's sleeping forms nearby. She lazily looked around the room. She heard something that sounded like footsteps in the hallway. 'Probably the house setting,' she thought. She froze suddenly, seeing what had woke her up. She quickly reached over and shook Tomoyo awake, then Sakura.  
  
"Hmm...wha?....what's wrong?" Sakura said, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"That's what's wrong!" Meilin hissed, pointing towards the windows. The other two followed her hand and froze as she did.  
  
The window was wide open.  
  
"We--we locked that window...didn't we?" Tomoyo said, turning to Sakura, who nodded swiftly.  
  
"And I think I heard footsteps out there!" Meilin continued, pointing to the door. At the same time, the three girl's eyes widened in fear when they saw the door opened slightly.  
  
"It might be a Card..." Kero muttered, landing on Sakura's shoulder.  
  
Sakura stood, grabbing the pendant around her neck and calling her staff forth. "Let's get Oni-chan," she said. "He might be of some use."  
  
"Hai," Meiling and Tomoyo chorused.  
  
They tiptoed down the hall to Toya's room, opening the door and walking in. Toya lay on his bed, sound asleep and slightly snoring. "Oni- chan?" Sakura whispered. No response. "Oni-chan?" she said, a bit louder, and shook his shoulder. Touya rolled over, his back to him. Sakura made a face. All three of them leaned over and shouted, "WAKE UP!!" in his ear.  
  
"GAH!!" Touya said, falling out of bed. He looked up at them from his potition on the floor. "What do you three want?"  
  
"Oni-chan, there's someone or something in the house!" Sakura said, lowering her voice. "Meilin-chan woke up and my window and door were both wide open. And I *know* we locked them down before going to bed."  
  
"What do you want me to do about it?" he sighed, sitting up.  
  
"Help us find them and beat them up!" Sakura said.  
  
"Beat them up? I don't think they'd stand a chance with three kaijuu after them--"  
  
In unsion, three loud 'BONK's were heard along with a shout sounding something like, "Tomoyo/Meilin/Sakura not kaijuu!!"  
  
"ITAII!" Touya yelped, grabbing his *throughly* bruised shin. "All right! All right!" he said through gritted teeth. "I'm coming! Geez!" He stood and grabbed the metal bat beside his bed. He started to the door but stopped and stared at the staff in Sakura's hands. "Where did that come from?" he asked, pointing.  
  
"Uh--this?" Sakura said, mentally kicking herself for bringing it out. She had done it figuring it might be a Card but forgot that Touya did not know about them. "It's--uh--something Tomoyo-chan made me for...H- Halloween!" she said, forcing a smile. "It was the only thing I could get!" 'Please, please, please don't notice Kero-chan!!' she thought.  
  
"Hai!" Tomoyo agreed, nodding her head, looking more believable than Sakura.  
  
"Okay..." Touya opened the door and walked out into the hallway, the three girls close behind.  
  
They all walked softly to the staircase and stopped when Meilin whispered, "Wait a second!" They listened. Faintly, they could hear footsteps coming from downstairs. "They're bare foot," she told them. "Don't seem human," she mumbled lastly to herself as they continued. Sakura heard her and gulped, tightening her grip on the staff.  
  
They entered the enteryway hall and stood silent. The footsteps had stopped suddenly. They waited for almost a minute before they started up again. "Living room," Tomoyo said, pointing the direction. They silently crept up to the opening in the wall that lead to the living room and waited for the footsteps to stop. When it did, Touya ran in, bat raised.  
  
Nothing.  
  
The sound appeared in the direction of the kichten. Touya grunted, annoyed, before making his way to it. The girls followed, all a little more than nervous. Touya stopped at the corner that turned into the kitchen area, holding the bat up and waiting for them to catch up. Touya nodded. They did in return. Tomoyo held up three fingers, then two, the one. They all rounded the corner, ready for anything. That is...almost.  
  
"Oh! Konnichi wa!"  
  
All four fell to the ground at seeing Yukito's smiling face from the other side of the island in the middle of the kitchen.  
  
"Yuki?" Touya said, giving his friend a puzzled look. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on vaction in Mexico?"  
  
"Oh, I was. I just got back in," he explained. "But, I lost the keys to my house on the way back. The only set I managed to find had the key to this house."  
  
"Oh, that's good!" Sakura said, letting out a sigh of relief. "We though you were a burglar or something."  
  
"Yeah," Touya agreed, setting down the bat and heading to the fridge. "As long as I'm up, might as well eat something."  
  
"I agree," Tomoyo said as she and Sakura began to rummage through the pantry.  
  
Sakura stopped and looked at Meilin. "Hoe? Meilin-chan? Dai jo bu?"  
  
Meilin was looking hard at Yukito. He saw her and smiled, saying, "Yes?"  
  
"Your feet," she said, pointing. "Let me see your feet."  
  
"All right." Yukito walked untill he was in front of her.  
  
She studied his slippered feet, frowning slightly. She nodded, indicating she was done. Silently, she motioned to Sakura and Tomoyo to follow her.  
  
"Uh--Oni-chan? I'm gonna go talk with Tomoyo-chan and Meilin-chan. Okay?"  
  
"Okay," he replied. "I'm taking Yuki home."  
  
"Fine! See ya later Yuki-san!" Sakura called over her shoulder as she and Tomoyo were ushered into the parlor by Meilin. "What's wrong, Meilin- chan?" she asked as soon as they heard Touya's motorcycle start then peel out.  
  
"Didn't you notice what I said?" she said. "The footsteps I heard were barefoot. Yukito had on slippers." Her eyes narrowed. "Whatever came through your window is still in here."  
  
Sakura gulped.  
  
Kero, glad he could move again, said, "We gotta find 'em and quick! Before Touya comes back."  
  
A tingle ran down Sakura's spine. 'Someone's watching me,' she thought. Slowly, she moved her gaze in the direction the feeling was coming from. The front door. She closed her eyes and concentrated.  
  
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo said, seeing her actions. "What is it?"  
  
"I...I sense something...." Sakura whispered.  
  
"Clow Card?" Meilin said, tensing.  
  
"...No...not the ones we've fought," Sakura said, frowning a bit, "it's ...something...somthing else...something...magical all right but still, not a Clow Card." She opened her eyes. Slowly, she started towards the door, her staff raised a bit. She stood in front of the door, staring at the corner above it. She raised her staff and swung it down hard, the top part striking the corner.  
  
***BONK***  
  
Everyone blinked at the sound. "Hoe?" Sakura said, cocking her head to the side. She lowered her staff and looked at it. A squeak emitted from her as she stared at what was on it.  
  
It looked like a small stuff dog. A rotweiler to be precise. Its coat was a dark blue, underlined with white. It had a pair of wings perched on its back tinted a light blue.  
  
"What is that?" Meilin asked when Sakura showed them.  
  
"How should I know?!" Sakura said, still shocked.  
  
"Can I see it?" Tomoyo asked. When Sakura nodded, Tomoyo reached over and gently picked it up off the staff. She frowned. "Uh--Sakura-chan? I think it's alive."  
  
"What makes you say that?" Sakura said, a bit nervous.  
  
"Its breathing."  
  
As soon as the words were out of Tomoyo's mouth, the dog twitched. The three girls jumped when its eyes opened, bright blue and alert. The wings flapped, lifting the dog out of Tomoyo's hand. Its face twisted into an expression of pain as it rubbed its head with its front paws.  
  
"Dang! That hurt, girl!"  
  
"AHH!!" Sakura yelped.  
  
"No screaming, please!" the dog said, waving one paw as it looked around. "Now where did she get off to..." it mummered to itself.  
  
"Excuse me!" Kero said, floating in front of the dog. "What do you think you're doin' here, poochie?!"  
  
"Who's askin'?!" the dog snarled. "You, Mr. Whinnie the Pooh?!"  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
"You heard!!"  
  
The two started a glaring contest as the three girls exchanged confused glances.  
  
"This is interesting," Meilin remarked, crossing her arms.  
  
"Very much so," Tomoyo said, walking aways until she was standing in front of one of the chairs in the room. "Hey, Sakura-chan? Did you get new furniture?"  
  
"Uh--I don't know," Sakura replied, startled at the sudden change of the subject.  
  
"Well, I don't recognize this chair," Tomoyo said as she turned and sat down in it.  
  
"GAH! GIDDOFA ME!!" a voice shouted.  
  
Tomoyo sprang up, eyes wide, staring at the chair.  
  
The chair suddenly stood, mutating slightly until it looked like someone in a long black cloak. "Geez," the person exclaimed, "you're heavy!!"  
  
"There you are!" the dog said, flying over to the person. "Why'd ya go and leave me?! I thought ya had left, fer cryin' out loud!!"  
  
"Ah, shaddup! Ya know I wouldn't leave! We came here and we ain't leavin' till we do it!!"  
  
"HEY!!"  
  
The two stopped yelling and faced Sakura, who said, "Who *are* you two?!"  
  
"Gomen nesai," the person said, bowing. "I'm sorry for troubling you this late at night but I have to speak with you three."  
  
"Uh--hai," Sakura asaid, bowing in return. "Would you like some tea?" she asked, at a loss for anything else to say.  
  
"Hai!" the person said, the hood moving up and down to indicate a nodd.  
  
Sakura led them into the kitchen, where she perpared some tea. Everyone sat around the table as she served them. "What was your name?" Sakura said to the person.  
  
"Xue," the person said. "Oh, here. Let me remove this silly thing." Xue reached up and pulled the hood off. Xue was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She had long black hair and bright amber eyes that seemed to glow from an inner source of streangth and power. She was tall, that was obvious. Sakura guessed she was almost six feet. Sakura also noted the Celtic symbol at the bottom of her cloak. Xue removed her cloak to show she was wearing simple, yet tight looking clothes; pants, a shirt, overshirt, and a large coat over that, all some dark color.  
  
"I just got in China," Xue said, sipping her tea. She smiled, "Yummy!"  
  
Meilin eyed Xue with a look of question.  
  
"Anyway, I was sent here by the Li Clan." Xue looked around at the wide eyes and waved her hands, saying, "Don't worry, I'm not here to demand that you return the Clow Cards--or should I say Sakura Cards--or that you return Li Syouran. I know he's been missing for a year. I'm here to help."  
  
"Help with what?" Sakura asked, still trying to digest this information.  
  
"With capturing these rouge Cards that have been fighting you. It seems that you might be up against some powerfull opponents," she motioned to Sakura arms, indicating her wounds.  
  
Sakura nervously lowered her arms into her lap. "I--I guessed so...but why were *you* sent, if you don't mind me asking?"  
  
A slow smile came onto her face as she said, "You'll find out soon."  
  
"Hey, hey, hey!" the flying dog interrupted, floating in front of Xue's face. "What about me?!"  
  
"Simmer down!" Xue said, hitting the dog over the head. The dog landed with a *thump* on the table, whining and holding its head while glaring at Xue. "Oh, be quiet!" she hissed under her breath. She cleared her throat before saying, "This is Shane, my companion. Please forgive his acitons, he's not house broken yet."  
  
"HEY!!" Shane exclaimed, growling at her.  
  
"Hey what, doggy?!" she growled back.  
  
"Xue-san," Meilin intterupted, the suspicious look still in her eye.  
  
"Eh?" Xue said, looking up from grinding Shane into the table with her fist.  
  
"Will you answer a question for me?"  
  
"Sure. What is it?"  
  
Meilin held her breath for a second before saying something Sakura and Tomoyo did not understand. "Hoe?" Sakura said, scratching her head in confusion, expecting Meilin to tell them what she said. When Meilin just sat there, eyeing Xue expectingly, Sakura turned to Xue, who met Meilin's gaze levelly.  
  
Then, a shadow of a smile pulled the corners of Xue's mouth. She answered in a clear voice edged in sadness in whatever language Meilin had spoken in. Meilin's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull at the response. Her mouth hung open as she nodded. Xue chuckled, taking her cup of tea and sipping the rest of it down.  
  
"Psst," Sakura whispered to Meilin. "What did you say?"  
  
Meilin met her eyes, disbelief written on her face. "I--I just asked a question...but I didn't expect that answer."  
  
Sakura fumed silently, wanting to know the reason behind the strange language.  
  
"Gaelic."  
  
Sakura blinked, turning back to Xue as she lowered her cup. "She spoke in Gaelic, Sakura-san," Xue said, eyes suddenly misted in a strange way. "She could tell by the pattern on my cloak that I studied in Ireland. While I was there, I picked up on the language as well as its Anceint counterpart."  
  
"What did she say?" Sakura asked.  
  
Xue just chuckled again. "She said--" Suddenly Xue stopped, eyes snapping out wide as her body went stiff. Her eyes began to glow eerily.  
  
"Xue-san?" Tomoyo said, standing up as well as Sakura, sensing danger.  
  
"It's here," Xue whispered, her hand grabbing something inside her collar, simultaniously throwing on her cloak.  
  
"What's here?" Sakura asked, hand closing around her staff.  
  
::CRASH::  
  
The window beside them shattered into slivers and shards as a dark form barrled through.  
  
"SHEILD!!" Xue shouted.  
  
A blue bubble incased the four girls before harm could be done. The glass bounced off to the floor. Sakura ignored that and focused on the form that landed on the floor beside the table. At first she had thought it to be the strange Card from the video tape. But it was another one all together.  
  
There were several similarities. It was thin and had long arms and legs yet the fingers were shorter and blunter. Its hair was shorter and stuck straight up, the color being a deep maroon. It's skin was rougher and textured like a lizard's, the light refracting blue on the scalely black skin. It grinned, showing large teeth that were stained yellow, yellowish green eyes growing as it looked at Sakura.  
  
"Another one!" Meilin exclaimed, jumping up, toppleing over her chair.  
  
"How many are there?" Tomoyo said in wonder as she pulled out her camcorder from somewhere, filming the strange creature.  
  
The Card stood straight, still eyeing Sakura. Then, unexpectantly, it bowed in a sweeping motion. As it slowly came up, it spoke in a low, gravelly voice that sounded thick. "My massster sssendsss hisss greetingsss," it hissed, black steam emitting from its mouth.  
  
Sakura stiffened involentarily. A pudrid, rotting stench reached her once the Card had spoken. It made her stomach churn and twist. She used almost all her will to keep it down. "M-Master?" she managed to say, almost gagging. She could even *taste* it! It was so revolting and bitter it made her sick!  
  
"Yessssss," the Card spoke, drawing the word out to cause more of its rank breath to spread. Then, when they were about to pass out, he jumped up, landing in the enterance. "Follow me, CardBearer!" he called, disappearing. The sound of the door being broken off its hinges caused them to shake out of their stuptor and follow it.  
  
----------  
  
The game was set. All the pieces were on the board. It had made the first move. Now to sit back and watch as she made hers.  
  
----------  
  
"Back at the park," Sakura muttered, eyes staying on the dark creature they followed below them.  
  
After it had left, Xue had cast a spell she called "Guiding Wings". It enabled them to fly, staying right with the creature. Xue had remarked that this spell was usefull in spying on people and whatnot.  
  
"Strange," Xue muttered under her breath.  
  
"Nani?" Tomoyo said, excited by all this footage she as getting.  
  
"This park....I dunno. Just feels weird."  
  
At that point, the Card stopped, looking up at them. Xue uttered a short chant, ending the spell. They landed softly a few yards away from the Card. Xue once again grabbed something inside her collar. A blue glow flashed before it disappeared, reveiling a long, dark blue staff in her hands. It twisted near the top and held a pulsing black orb.  
  
Sakura twirled her staff, throwing out the Watery Card. "WATERY! Release and dispel! Become a cage that binds!" The Watery flew out, swirling around the Card. The Card watched Watery, a curious look on its face as Watery surrounded it completely.  
  
"Got any attacks planned?" Xue asked, grip tightening on her staff.  
  
"Just throw my heaviest punches at it until something works," Sakura said, bringing out the Power Card.  
  
Xue cocked her head to the side, as if to ask if she was serious, before breaking out in a slightly insane grin. "My kinda girl!" she cheered, raising her staff up then striking the ground. Eletrical bolts flew from the bottom. "Do your stuff!" she shouted to Sakura. "I'll help!"  
  
Sakura nodded, throwing out the Power Card.  
  
A ways behind, Meilin waited patiently for a chance to jump in and join the fight. Tomoyo was beside her, filming everything with a smile on her face. Kero-chan floating back and forth, pacing in the air above Tomoyo's head. Shane sat in a low hanging branch of the tree Tomoyo was using for cover. Shane snorted at Kero-chan. "Pipe down, for crying out loud."  
  
Kero-chan glared up at Shane. "How can you be so calm?!" he shouted, flying up to be level with the miniature dog. "This is a Card I know nothin' about and Sakura's out there riskin' her life to capture it along with yer friend Xue! So how can ya be calm?!"  
  
Shane met Kero-chan's beady eyes with his bright blue ones. Kero-chan stopped, something in Shane's gaze catching his attention. An unnatural calmness was there, cool and aloof. Shane wasn't worried about the fight going on just a few feet away. "Why don't you trust your mistress, Guardian?" Shane said, voice low and quiet.  
  
"Nani?" Kero-chan blurted, caught off-guard by the question.  
  
"You asked why I'm so calm," Shane said, tone a bit more conversational. "I'm calm because I trust Xue-san. She has a tendency to be a slacker and scatterbrained more than she should," Shane's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yet I trust in her abilities, Ceroberus. I know she will do what needs to be done, one way or the other, and she will come out of it alive at least. I would expect you to do the same thing." Shane sniffed, laying his head down on his paws, turned so he could watch the fighting. Sakura had used the Power Card on herself, as was told by the huge craters now in the cement walkways. Meilin and Xue were providing distractions, Meiling closing in to attack while Xue threw energy bolts at it.  
  
"How long have you known Xue?" Kero-chan asked hesitantly.  
  
Shane chuckled. "Since I was born; one month ago."  
  
TBC...  
  
~~~~~  
  
R&R!!!!  
  
==Seishin no Maigo== 


End file.
